Coventry-based
Aurrigo International plc and
Changi Airport Group (CAG) have agreed a deal for a fleet of four autonomous baggage handling vehicles to pilot underwing operations at Changi Airport in Singapore. The recently concluded Phase 2A of a trial tested the Auto-DollyTug at the airport, showcasing its resilience to different conditions including wet weather, heat, humidity, alignment to airport equipment, automated transfer of baggage containers and close quarter operations to aircraft on stand.
Over the course of the past two years, the Auto-DollyTug has demonstrated its ability to manoeuvre on the apron while interacting with traditional ground service equipment (GSE). Looking ahead, Phase 2B will focus on testing the Auto-DollyTugs’ fleet communication through Aurrigo’s Auto-Connect platform, enabling them to be scheduled and monitored to support the turnaround of a wide body flight. It is expected that this new generation of airport baggage handling vehicles, designed, engineered and built in the UK, will arrive in Singapore in the coming months.
Beyond concept validation phase, these vehicles will play a critical role in supporting the turnaround of wide-body flights to achieve efficiency savings, environmental improvements and to alleviate labour shortages impacting the global aviation sector.
Milestone momentAurrigo CEO Professor David Keene said: “This is a milestone moment for the aviation sector and paves the way for the future adoption of our Auto-DollyTugs for servicing of live flights in the near term. CAG has been exploring this technology with us since 2020 and the results of significant testing has given it the confidence to place this next contract with us.”
Efficiently turning around a wide-body flight demands seamless coordination among multiple stakeholders. Auto-DollyTug introduces pioneering features that elevate efficiencies beyond the capabilities of today’s standard tow tractors. With Aurrigo’s patented sideways drive system, this innovative tractor can manoeuvre directly sideways into confined spaces within the baggage hall and around ground service equipment (GSE) on the apron. Additionally, its 360deg tank turn capabilities and integrated robotic arms enable the vehicle to automatically load and unload unit load devices (ULDs) with precision, streamlining operations.
Ms Poh Li San, senior vice president, Terminal 5 Specialised Systems at Changi Airport Group, concluded: “We look forward to trialing the fleet of four Auto-DollyTugs in Phase 2B and to validate our new concept of operations to support the turnaround of a widebody flight together with our ground handlers.”